We Are Family
by reviewgirl911
Summary: Alex runs off with her boyfriend after losing the wizard competition, cutting off her family. 5 years later she's living with her daughter in Chicago and running her gallery. What happens when she runs into Justin? Trouble.
1. Red (Surprise)

I walk into the café, my favorite in Chicago. A lot of things had changed since the wizard competition. I had fell in love with a guy I met in an art class. His name was Trent, and he'd been all the things I'd craved in a guy: handsome, smart, funny, caring, and creative. After six months of dating, I left New York to follow him to Detroit. None of my family members approved of Trent, Justin especially. I soon cut off all contact with them. I still talked to Harper; she had went on to college and had her own label, a wacky yet stylish brand that dressed Lady Gaga and many other celebrities. After a month of living in Chicago, I found out I was pregnant. This didn't make Trent very happy. He'd already started to drink at that point.

"So? Get rid of it." he told me when I showed him the results of the pregnancy test. When I refused, things got ugly. He started to beat me, causing me to nearly lose our child twice. Thankfully, Lexi Harper Russo, as I insisted, was born healthy. It wasn't until a month after Lexi born that he started to beat me again. I took it just so my daughter and I would have a roof over our heads. I knew this wasn't the guy I fell in love with; this was the monster that had been created by alcohol. No one knew about the beatings except Harper, who I had sworn to secrecy.

One day, I woke up and I'd just had enough. I was sick of being beat up every day and of having to hide my bruises under layers of clothes. I waited until Trent went to work to pack up our stuff. I carried our bags and Lexi, only nine months old at the time, and hopped on a bus. We ended up in Chicago, where we've lived for five years. Harper comes to stay with us every other month; Lexi adores my best friend and calls her Aunt Harper.

I approach the counter and greet the cashier. "Hey, Sal, how ya been?"

"Good. The usual?" he asks me while getting it ready. I smile and nod. I've become a frequent customer, one of the freaky ones who knows every employee. I even let them advertise in my gallery free of charge.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention I own a gallery. A lot of my work and other local artists are displayed; it's one of the most popular galleries in Chicago. When I left Trent, I became friends with the elderly woman in the apartment across from us. She would always watch Lexi while I worked. One day, she died suddenly in her sleep. I discovered that she had been a former socialite who had left me a good chunk of money in her will. I was surprised that she had money and was living in such a run-down apartment, but wasn't surprised that she had left me money. She had frequently said I was like her daughter and insisted Lexi call her Grandma. I found us a nicer apartment, put money away for Lexi's education, and used the rest to buy the gallery. The gallery immediately took off. Harper even displays some of her riskier design sketches there. My original work was getting recognition also. I was proud that I was doing so well for me and Lexi, but I was also sad I didn't have my family cheering me on.

Sal handed me my order. I gave him a five. "Thanks!" I tell him as I left the café. I was walking down the street when I see a guy who looks just like Justin. He turns around and I see that it was Justin. My brother, Justin Russo, is in Chicago. He sees me and stares. I really didn't look that much different. I'm a bit skinner and my hair is longer, but I still dress the same. "Alex?" he asks softly. I gulp. This was one of my worst fears; running into one of my family members and having to tell them the horrors I went through.

"Justin," I respond formally. We hadn't parted well, with him calling Trent a worthless asshole and me insisting that Trent was a great guy who loved me. Well, looked like Justin was right there.

"What are you doing here? Where's Trent?" Justin asks, a glint of worry in his eyes. I had told my family we were heading for Detroit, so they probably all assumed I was still living there.

"I live here now and I don't know where Trent is. Still in Detroit, probably." I answer in my I-don't-give-a-damn voice.

"How'd you end up here?" Justin asks curiously, his eyes lighting up.

"Long story." I respond, trying to dodge his questions.

"Why don't you tell it to me over lunch?" he asks hopefully. I did want to catch up with Justin, but there were things I didn't want him to know.

"How about you come over to my apartment? There's somebody you should meet." I tell him nervously. I was worried about how he'd react to having a niece, but I was sick of hiding everything from my five year old. She deserves a chance of a normal family.

"A new boyfriend?" Justin asks, clearly relieved Trent was out of the picture. As was I. I still woke up every day afraid that he was going to get off his drunk ass and try to find us. I'd taken extra precautions, selling my artwork under a different name.

"No, but this person is very special to me," I answer with a smile. My daughter is my light. I didn't know what I would do without her. She's practically a mini-me, from her looks and style to the way she liked to torture the little boy next door. Luckily, she is a lot more practical than I was.

Justin agrees to come with me. He tells me that he was in town for a press conference for his company, an agency that helped businesses go green. Max married another wizard, Lisa, and they have an infant daughter named Isabelle. Our parents still run the sub shop with Max's help. I listen to him talk, loving how familiar it all felt. I have missed my big brother. I'd always been too ashamed to ask for help, but now I was starting to think a little might not be a bad thing.

We walk into my building and Justin lets out a low whistle. "Hey, Alex, no offense, but you can you afford this?" he asked worriedly. Knowing Justin, he was probably concerned about how I got the money.

"Don't worry. I got it legally." I tell Justin with a laugh. He starts to plush a bit and nods for me to continue. "When I left Trent, I bought a bus ticket and ended up here. My old apartment was right across from this old women's. We became good friends, and she was always doing little favors for me. She always said I was like her daughter. One day, she just died in her sleep. Her lawyer called me and told me that he'd left us money. A lot. Apparently she'd been some fancy socialite or something. I used the money to get a better apartment and buy the gallery." I tell him as we walked toward my apartment, sad at the memory of Fran.

Justin takes all this in and breathes a sign of relief. Then he stops in his tracks. "Wait, we? I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend." my brother says, his voice suspicious.

"I don't," I answer truthfully. Justin looks at me puzzled. I unlock my apartment door. We walk in and I call out my daughter's name. "Lexi! I have someone I want you to meet!" Lexi comes running down the stairs, her hair flying everywhere. My daughter stands besides me, studying the stranger in our home.

"Who's that?" she asks, her eyes big. I know she's afraid it was one of her daddy's friends out to get us.

"Lexi, this is Justin," I tell her softly. Then I turn to my brother. "Justin, this is my daughter," I explain to him.


	2. Orange (Change)

I couldn't believe it. My little sister has a daughter. I am an uncle. It just make me realize how long we'd all been out of contact with Alex. After the wizard competition, Alex had decided to run off with that guy, Trent. I didn't trust him based off the things I heard and his general vibe. She had been head over heels in love with him and refused to listen to us. They ran off to Detroit of all places and we stopped getting calls and letters from her. Harper was the only person she still kept in touch with. Harper always refused to give us information on Alex, saying something about a promise. The best we got from her were pictures of Alex. That's how I recognized her in the street. Harper had been smart and didn't include any pictures of Lexi.

"Daughter? With Trent?" I stutter out. At the sound of her dad's name, Lexi shrinks back behind her mother.

"Yes," Alex replies, looking as if she is contemplating something. I want to know the full story, but Alex doesn't seem ready to tell it to me.

Lexi tugs on her mom's dress. Alex looks down at her daughter affectionately. "Mommy, who is that?" she asks softly, pointing at me.

"Lexi, it's not polite to point at people," Alex gently scolds her daughter. I'm amazed by Alex's manners; five years ago she would've thought nothing about telling a bunch of kids to point at me and laugh.

"Sorry," the little girl apologizes with a giggle. Alex just grins and picks up her daughter.

"This is your uncle Justin," she tells the little girl enthusiastically. Alex's energy shocks me, especially after hearing how many hours she works and how little sleep she gets. I always knew that Alex would be a good parent; she's just a kid at heart.

Alex puts her daughter down and Lexi runs over to me and give me a hug. "Yay! I have an uncle! I have an aunt but I've always wanted an uncle. They sound like fun." the little girl tells me, words flying a mile a minute.

"She's definitely your daughter," I whisper to Alex, who just laughs. Alex was an enthusiastic little girl when we growing up, and became the person she is today at the age of eight.

"She already steals my accessories and can be devious when she wants to be," Alex adds proudly. I just roll my eyes at her. "Hey, Lexi, why don't you go see if Tommy wants to play? Uncle Justin and I have catching up to do." Alex asks her daughter sweetly. Lexi's eyes lit up with the mischievous shine I recognize from Alex, and the little girl runs next door.

"Who's Tommy?" I ask cautiously.

"Her version of you," Alex replies slyly. I stared at her. She shrugged. "Can't fight genetics." she adds with a smirk.

My sister walked over into her kitchen. "You still like tea, Justin?" she asks while grabbing a kettle from a shelf.

"Yeah," I reply casually. My sister, the coffee addict, drinks tea now. Wow, a lot can change in five years.

"I still drink coffee," Alex says, sensing my shock. I sign. She makes a face at me. It's like we're teenagers again, sitting in the lair learning our wizard lessons.

Once the tea is done, Alex walks over with two cups. She carefully hands me one. I notice my sister looks thinner and a little worse for wear.

"You okay, Alex?" I ask her carefully. She can get defense about the littlest things, and I don't want to push her away now that I've found her again.

Alex just shakes her head, a tired smile on my face. "I'm a single mom, Justin. I'm raising a five year old all by myself, with the occasional babysitter, and trying to run a business. I love my life, but it's harder than it looks." she tells me wearily. I can tell that she doesn't sleep much from the bags under her eyes.

I ask one of the biggest questions on my mind. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" I know I would've done anything to make Alex's life easier and more comfortable, our whole family would've done anything they could to help her out. Yet, she didn't tell anyone.

"I didn't want to drag anyone else into my mess. I couldn't ruin anyone else's life. Harper just so happened to be visiting one day and saw me throw up. She wanted to know what was wrong, so I told her. Then she made me promise to tell her whatever else was going on and she promised not to tell anyone about my life. We've both kept up our ends of the bargain." Alex responds sheepishly.

"How you would have messed up any of our lives? Mom and Dad would've been thrilled to help you. We all would've pitched in. We're a family, Alex." I tell my sister, starting to be confused by her reasoning.

"I don't really know. I was mad at all of you about Trent, especially for being right. And I just felt really isolated and alone. Plus, you all had your own lives going own. You and Max were both in school, and I was confused. I didn't want to go to Mom and Dad only to have them turn me away." Alex answers, tears starting to fill her eyes.

I try to comfort my sister. "Max and I would've jumped at the chance to help you. You're our sister, after all. And do you really think Mom and Dad would've turned you away? After all the time they spent looking for you?" Alex takes this in and manages a small smile. I could tell the last thing I said shocked her. Then I thought back to something she said about us being right.

"Alex, what happened with Trent?" I ask my sister worriedly. She said that we had been right about Trent, and Lexi seemed to be scared of the mention of her dad.

Alex seems to contemplate my question and carefully responds, "I just got sick of his crap. So, one day, I packed my stuff, took Lexi, who was probably nine months old, and hopped on a random bus while he was at work." I'm shocked by my sister courage; it would take a lot of guts to run away to a foreign city with a child, knowing no one. Still, I could sense Alex's nervousness and I press the subject.

"What did you do to you?" I ask forcefully. I can tell just by the fear in her eyes that the punk did something to hurt her. Knowing Alex, I'm going to have to coax it out of her.

"Not now, Justin," Alex responds softly. I know when she's had enough for the day, and she looks too fragile for any more pestering. We sit in silence, drinking our tea, when Lexi bursts in.

Alex instantly brightens up, something I've seen her do every time her daughter entered the room. Lexi, practically a clone of Alex without a trace of Trent, runs over to her mom and jumps in her lap. "Mom?" the little girl asks sweetly.

"What do you want, sweetie?" Alex responds patiently.

"I'm hungry," Lexi declares with a pout.

Alex seems to think about it. "Do we have any Chinese left?" she asks the little girl, who shakes her head no. "Okay then. How about Monty's?" Alex asks cheerfully. Lexi starts nodding her head and jumping up and down.

"Can Uncle Justin come?" she asks Alex with a puppy dog face. Alex laughed.

"If he wants to. And by the way, that face doesn't work on me. I invented that face." Alex replies with a smirk.

"I'd love to go out with such two lovely ladies," I tease kindly. Alex just rolls her eyes at me.

"You're still a dork," she says bluntly. I hate to admit it, but I actually missed Alex's nonstop mocking.

"But what a great dork I am," I add jokingly. Lexi starts yanking on me hand. I take the hint on lift her onto my shoulders.

"Off to Monty's!" she commands. Alex and I both laugh. It is great to see my sister again and meet my niece.


	3. Dark Blue (Depression)

We walk to Monty's, Lexi skipping the whole way with me holding her hand. Justin watches for cars and waits for the sign to say walk before crossing the road. I roll my eyes at him. "You haven't changed much, Justin." I say teasingly.

Justin just scowls at me and sternly replies, "Road safety is very important, Alex." I see Lexi imitating her uncle and start laughing. This makes her laugh and Justin stands there, looking back and forth between the two of us. "What's so funny?" he asks in exposition.

Lexi just stares down at her blue Converse, not saying a word. I laugh again. "She was doing a very entertaining imitation of you," I tell him with a devilish grin. I would've stopped Lexi if her impression of Justin had been bad, but she is too good at making fun of him for me to get mad.

Justin shakes his head at me. "You really shouldn't teach your daughter that kind of behavior," he scolds me like I'm five years old.

"Hey, I didn't teach it to her. It's in her genes." I tell my brother with a smirk. Lexi laughs at us. We both turn to look at her.

"Sorry, Mommy, but you and Uncle Justin are funny," my little girl says to us, her smile wide.

"It's okay, Lexi. Everyone use to laugh at us when we were little." Justin responds, his eyes playful. I inwardly smile at this. We were constantly told how cute we were as kids, with me playing pranks on Justin and him getting all mad. It continued into our middle school and teen years, but by then no one thought it was cute anymore. I had gotten sneaker, and Justin became a geek.

We go into Monty's. Monty's is the diner I used to work at before I bought the gallery; it's like a close knit family. The employees are like my siblings. Everyone adores Lexi and has ever since I brought her in one day when my babysitter bailed. She calls them all by their first names. There's Jamie, Quinn, Gary, Cat, and Beck, all of them close friends of mine. Jamie and Quinn are identical twins, and if you don't know them personally, you'll never get them straight. Jamie is super smart and is trying to put herself through school; I always go to her when I need help solving a problem. She can fix anything. Quinn is as creative as they come, and we instantly bonded over art. She works part time at the gallery and even has some of her stuff featured there. I always go to her when I need another opinion. Gary is like a big teddy bear, tall and wide, but with a huge heart. I always go to him when I'm sad or in need of some motivation. He always convinces me to go on with my day. Cat is still a little kid at heart, despite all that she has seen. She grew up in a series of really bad fosters homes and somehow still managed to keep an open heart. Cat is Lexi's favorite babysitter and always brightens things up. Beck, well, I'm not sure what to say about Beck. He's just special. I couldn't imagine life without him. There's also the owner, Sally; if the employees are like my siblings, than Sally is my mother. She took me under her wing. I wouldn't have been able to do what I've done without her.

Quinn sees us walk in and gives me a look. Justin gives me a look, too. Both faces are confused.

"Quinn, this my brother, Justin. Justin, this is one of my best friends, Quinn." I introduce them to each other. Quinn raises an eyebrow as if to ask if it was the brother I'd told everyone about. When I first started at Monty's, I talked about my family and Trent a lot. I told them what Trent had done to me; Beck and Gary offered to punch his face in if he ever shows his face in Chicago.

Quinn stares at him wide-eyed for a second, then runs off to either take orders or tell the others Justin is her. Knowing her, I guess the second one. Quinn isn't a very good waitress, but Sally could never fire her.

We find a table in the back and wait for Cat to come take our order. I know she'll come, because we're at one of her tables. I still have the seating chart memorized; I still help out on really jammed backed nights.

"Tell me about Mommy," Lexi commands her uncle as we sit down. Justin looks at her amused.

"Why don't you ask your mommy to tell you about herself?" he asks her almost mockingly. Lexi shakes her head no furiously.

"Because she'll keep out the good stuff!" my daughter whined. She is nearly as sharp as Justin is and just as sneaky as I am. Lexi also always somehow knows when I'm not telling her something. Must be a daughter instinct; I use to have it too.

Justin looked apprehensive, but Lexi started pouting, something I knew he couldn't resist. Finally, he gave in. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you about your mommy, but if she kills me, it's your fault," Justin says jokingly. Lexi giggled.

I listen to Justin tell my little girl about our family: Dad with his odd ways and constant want of pudding, Mom with her really bad dancing skills, Max with his strange ideas and antics, Uncle Kelso with just being crazy Uncle Kelso, and him with his super nerdy ways. Justins tells her about all the pranks I pulled on him and Max and how much trouble I use to get in. He leaves out the magic stuff, but I realize that even without magic, my family is weird.

Lexi listens to him intently, only interrupting to ask one question. "Where are they?" she asks after finishing the burger on her plate. I had soup and Justin order an omelet.

"In New York," Justin replies absentmindedly. I freeze up; I don't feel ready to face my whole family yet.

"I think that's enough for tonight," I say to Justin coldly. He looks at me confused but then realizes the mistake he's made. Before he tries to apologize, I go up and pay the check. Gary notices I'm not looking him in the eye and asks, "What's wrong?" I just shake my head, not in the mood to hash out all the details. He looks at me worriedly as he hands me my change. I give him a weak smile and walk away.

I go back to my table, where I hear Justin talking to Lexi. "Your mommy was a heartbreaker in high school. A lot of guys liked her, but she wouldn't give them the time of day. She had three serious boyfriends: Riley, Dean, and Mason. None of them lasted, but I think it's because none of them were meant to be."

Lexi nods her head, her black curls bobbing up and down. "What about my daddy?" she asks fearfully. I put my hands to the back of my head to keep the memories from folding back.

Before Justin could answer, I come over and say to Justin rudely, "I think that's enough for tonight." He just looks at me like he's trying to figure out a puzzle. I turn to Lexi, my voice much sweeter, and add, "Your uncle's going to take you home, okay? I have something I have to do at the gallery." Lexi nods and I know she knows I'm lying. She always just lets me have a hour or so a day of "time at the gallery".

I look at Justin and he nods. They leave and I go into the break room where everyone is gathered. They look at me and I start to cry. Gary hugs me while Cat does some stupid dare to make me laugh. Quinn and Jamie take turns cursing Trent, which doesn't make the pain go away, but it does help to see that they care. Beck is last; I leave with him after a hour of being comforted by my friends. We all make plans to go see a movie the next day.

Beck and I go to his apartment. He starts to kiss me, and I slip off my shirt. Whenever either of us are down, we go to the other for comfort. I don't know how this twisted system started, but I enjoy it. What I like about Beck is that the sex isn't the important part to him; he can just talk if I want to talk. Hell, he'd probably juggle plates if I asked him too. Justin is right about one thing; I was and still am a heartbreaker. I always loved being in a relationship because I felt loved, and after Trent, I lost that. Beck has lost it too, so we keep our relationship casual. We're basically friends who have sex now and then. It works for both of us since we're both afraid of commitment. Though sometimes, I look at Beck and I want him to be just mine. I've seen him glare at guys who talk to me, so I know he feels it too. We're both cowards; I, Alex Russo, am a coward. I'm too afraid of my past to go see my family or tell my daughter the truth. It didn't feel good, and I swore to fix it.


	4. Black (Fear)

I did what Alex instructs me to do. I take Lexi back to their apartment and help her get ready for bed. By using her puppy dog pout, Lexi convinces me to let her sleep on the couch. "I want to wait for Mommy. It's what I always do." Lexi insists forcefully. This makes me pause for a moment.

"Does your mom leave you alone often?" I ask in dismay. Based off of what I've seen, that doesn't seem like Alex's parenting style at all.

"Never," the little girl responds with a furious shake of her head. "Mommy never leaves me alone. She usually drops me off at Tommy's or has Cat watch me. She says I can never be alone, that it's not safe. Aunt Harper says it has something to do with my dad,"

This makes me even more suspicious than before. Clearly, something had happened to make Alex leave Trent. "What did Harper say?" I ask Lexi gently. All of us had known Harper was in Alex's life, but we didn't know that she fully knew what was going on.

The little girl looks like she is contemplating telling me and then answers, "Aunt Harper said my daddy was a bad guy and that Mommy left him so we'd be safe." This leads me to one conclusion: the jerk hit Alex. I feel my jaw tighten and my fist clench. Lexi looks at me worriedly and sweetly asks, "Uncle Justin, are you okay?"

I smile at the little girl and respond, "Yes. I'm fine. So, does your mom always have business to do this late?"

Lexi laughs and shakes her head disappointedly. "She's not at the gallery," she states nonchalantly.

I'm thrown for another loop. "So where is she?" I ask softly.

Lexi shrugs her head, reminding me so much of her mother. "Probably with Beck," the little girl answers with wisdom beyond her years.

"Who's Beck?" I asked, my mind alert. Alex had told me there was no guy in her life.

"One of our friends," Lexi responds cheerfully. I know Alex must be close to those diner people if Lexi thinks of them as friends too. "He's in love with Mommy," she adds bluntly.

"How do you know?" I inquire curiously. I would bet money that Alex hasn't been in love since leaving Trent. Knowing her, she'd be too afraid. My sister may be tough, but when she falls, she falls hard.

"He always smiles when she walks in a room and glares at any guy who tries to talk to her. I think Mommy loves him too. She always looks happier after seeing him." Lexi says with a calm expression. "That's why I never ask Mommy where she goes at night. I just want her to be happy." the little girl adds wistfully.

I nod and stop asking the tired child questions. I stroke her back until she finally falls asleep. I look at the clock: it's midnight. I'm about to turn in for the night when I hear a key opening a lock. I see Alex creeping through the front door. She turns and sees me sitting on the coach.

"Where have you been?" I ask in a clipped voice, taking in her appearance. Alex's hair is slightly messed up, her lipstick smeared, and her dress isn't fully buttoned. I notice a scar right on her collarbone that was now exposed. It was a knife mark.

"With a friend," she answers, trying to be vague. I don't buy it. I'm done with her lying to me.

"Which friend?" I ask coldly, copying her tone from the diner. Alex looks desperate.

"Beck," she answers simply. I shake my head at her daughter's analyzing skills.

"Your daughter's a genius," I say with a roll of my eyes.

Alex laughs, her eyes lively once again. "I don't know how she figured it out. It didn't really even take her that long either." she replies, her expression amused.

"So, do I get to meet this guy?" I prod gently. Alex just glares at me. I shrug.

"Sure. We'll go to the diner tomorrow, and you can say hi while he takes your order," she replies sarcastically.

"But that's not nearly enough time for the lecture I give all your boyfriends," I tease. Alex's smile fades away.

"He's not my boyfriend," she replies casually. I can tell she wants him to be. I could always tell when Alex wanted a guy; she was never very subtle about it.

I press the issue a little more. "Why not?"

Alex snaps. "Because I can't do that again! I just can't!" she cries out, tears running down her face.

"Do what again?" I ask my sister gently. She looks so venerable that I'm tempted to give her a hug.

Alex breathes shakily and then answers, "Give up my heart only to have it stopped on. Love's not worth that. I love my family, and that's it." While she's talking, I can't stalk my eyes off her scar.

"What did he do to you?" I ask, my voice low. The damage he'd done to my sister was obvious; you could see it just by seeing her and talking to her. When Alex didn't answer, I angrily said, "Tell me!"

Alex broke down. "I don't know what you want to hear Justin! Do you want to hear how Trent starting drinking and beating the crap out of me when we first moved? Do you want to hear how I found out I was pregnant and all he said was Get rid of it?" When I didn't say anything, she continued. "Do you want to hear how he still beat while I was pregnant, almost causing me to lose Lexi twice? Do you want to hear that once Lexi was born, I suffered double the amount of beatings so that he wouldn't lay a hand on her? I put up with it for a year and a half just for my daughter, so that she'd be safe. But, I just stopped being able to fight." Alex admitted, tears flowing down her face.

I am appalled by this. Alex was suffering that much, and we were all mad at her because she didn't write. Now I realize that she didn't write or call because she couldn't. Trent had probably threatened her. And after she left, Alex was probably afraid he'd be able to track them down if she contacted us. I was angry at Harper for a split second for not helping Alex before realizing that, if she did, she would've been cut off just like us. Better one of us in her life that none of us. "Alex.." I try to say, but no words will come out.

"I'm still scared Justin. I hate being scared." Alex admits, her body shaking. I hug my sister and try to comfort her. She looks over at Lexi and smiles. "Thank God for that little girl. She's what keeps me strong." Her voice is genuine and wistful.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine," I reply, rubbing her bony back gently. Just like I use to do when we were kids and Alex would have vivid nightmares.

Alex snorts despite the tears running down her face. "I'm a parent now, that stuff doesn't work on me," she says with a smirk. I see a glimpse of the old Alex.

"Really? Then how come it still works on Max?" I joke. Alex laughs, and I see her sadness start to fade away.

"Max is like Peter Pan. He'll never grow up." she replies, her sharpness and wit obviously not diminished.

I look over at Lexi and give Alex a look that says should-I-move-her. She nods her head yes, and I gently lift the little girl up. I carry Lexi into her room and tuck her under the covers. Alex kisses her forehead and whispers good night in her ear. I say good night to my sister and head off to bed, reflecting on everything I've learned in a short day. And to think I didn't want to take the time to fly to Chicago from New York City for a business meeting. Sometimes I forget what an idiot I truly am.


	5. Yellow (Joy)

I wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. My nightmares aren't as frequent as they use to be, but today brings back a lot of the things I had stuffed away in my memory. My dream begins with Trent and I watching tv. I'm about six months pregnant and Trent is still beating me up pretty badly. He asks me to get him a beer, and I said no because my feet are too swollen to walk on. Trent then starts to throw things at me: his empty beer bottles, the vase on the table, basically anything he could get his hands on. I try to shield myself but it doesn't help. I wake just as Trent starts to approach me.

I look over at my clock; it says five in the morning in blinking numbers. I get up and grab my robe. I stare at my naked body in the mirror; I have so many scars that will never heal. I step into the steaming hot shower and let it relax my muscles. I know why I'm tense. It's because of what I told Justin last night. I had broken down, something I've tried not to do. I hope he doesn't tell our family; I don't need anymore problems.

I put on a long-sleeved, tan cashmere top with brown corduroy pants and cowboy boots with gold hoops in my ears. I dry my hair and curl it, putting on makeup afterwards. By six in the morning, I'm ready to go. I leave the apartment and start walking to the café for my morning coffee. It is just something I couldn't live without. I also pick up a muffin for Lexi and green tea for Justin. The stuff smells too nasty to even think about drinking.

I get home to find that nobody is up yet. I sneak into Lexi's room and sit in her reading chair, and no, I don't know where she got the reading thing from. I watch my little angel sleep. Lexi is definitely growing up and turning into a mini-me. It's very entertaining to watch who I was. I pray to God no Trent shows up in her at any point. When the clock strikes seven, I jump onto her bed.

"Good morning, sweetie!" I shout to my startled little girl. She just stares at me for a minute before giving me a wide smile.

"Morning Mommy!" Lexi answers cheerfully. She's always a morning person no matter what.

"Lexi, do you want to go surprise Uncle Justin?" I ask her, a devilish grin on my face. She picks up on what I'm saying and nods her head excitedly. I pick her up and we creep quietly into Justin's room. He is sprawled all over the bed, his boxers bearing pictures of little leprechauns on them. I immediately take pictures just in case they come in handy. Old habits do die hard. I count to three, and we bounce on Justin.

He wakes up and shrieks like a little girl. "Good morning, Uncle Justin!" we both shout at the top of our lungs. Justin groans.

"Go away," he mumbles into his pillow. I raise an eyebrow at Lexi. She nods. We each grab a foot and yank Justin out of bed. "Ow!" he shouts, now fully awake.

"Now that you're awake, there's green tea for you in the kitchen and cereal in the pantry. Help yourself." I tell my brother causally. He glares at me before stomping off into the bathroom to get dressed.

I turn to Lexi. She's still in her fairy pajamas. "Sweetie, do you want to pick out your own clothes this morning?" I ask sweetly. She loves experimenting with outfits and has an eye for what works and what doesn't.

"Yes!" Lexi shouts eagerly. She is already bouncing up and down, and she hasn't even had breakfast yet.

"Okay, go pick out an outfit. And try to be quiet. Uncle Justin is still waking up." I instruct my daughter gently. Lexi just shakes her head and skips back to her room. I go into the kitchen and get out three bowls and a box of Fruit Loops. I like the sugary cereal, and Lexi likes the birds on the box. It's a win-win situation.

I'm drinking my coffee and reading the Arts section of the newspaper when Justin walks into the kitchen. He's dressed in a blue, button-down shirt and nice khakis with shiny loafers. My brother still dresses like a dork five years later. Time has not changed him. "Hey, Alex," he greets me nonchalantly. Justin sees that I'm reading the newspaper and raises an eyebrow. "Alex Russo is reading the newspaper. Someone alert the media!" he shouts playfully. I shoot him my death glare. It's been know to scare off many people.

"Ha ha. You're hilarious. And for your information, I was reading the Arts section." I reply with a roll of my eyes. I was looking for the article about my gallery. I'm too nervous to read it, though.

Justin picks the section I was reading and reads the review out loud. "Waverly Gallery, while a stupid name, is becoming one of the most popular galleries in Chicago. The feel is funky and original, a breath of fresh air from so many of the stuffy galleries in this city. This has a lot to do with the owner, Alex Russo. Her work is utterly breathtaking, and the other artists she features are phenomenal. A good example would be up and coming artist Quinn Truman, also a close friend of Ms. Russo. Ms. Russo definitely has a skill for finding artists other galleries wouldn't take a second look at and giving them a place to showcase work. Waverly Gallery has a long and successful future ahead of this. Max Giverny, the Chicago Post." I stare at the paper, shell-shocked. I never thought I'd be this good at anything. Growing up with Justin as your brother definitely gives you an inferiority complex. Luckily, I got over it.

"Wow, Alex, this is amazing!" Justin shouts excitedly. Lexi comes running out of her room dressed in a red shirt, white jeans, and sparkly shoes.

"What's going on?" she asks curiously. Lexi also inherited my love of chaos. That's why I could never live in a suburb. It's too boring; I need the sounds of people talking and cars roaring down the street just to sleep at night. That's what happens when you grow up in New York City.

"Mommy's gallery is in the newspaper," I tell her cheerfully. Lexi starts to do a happy dance. I laugh at my daughter twirling around the apartment. I turn on the radio to a popular station. I pick up Lexi and we start to dance. Justin just stares at us, his expression showing amusement.

"Uncle Justin, come dance with us!" my little girl demands forcefully. Justin raises his hands up in mock surrender and makes his way over to us. He starts do some alien dance moves, and we laugh at him.

Once my arms start to get tired, I put Lexi down and turn down the music. There's a knock on the door. Justin gets up to get it while I make sure Lexi has all the stuff she needs to go over to Tommy's for a while. Sometimes, I feel bad for that kid, but then I realize it's really helping him in the long run.

When I turn around, I see a crying Quinn. She looks so helpless, with red eyes and a frown. Justin looks uncomfortable; he just steps to the side and goes to entertain Lexi. I run up to my friend and give her a huge hug. I let her sob into my shoulder as long as needed. It feels like I'm paying her for all the times she's comforted me.

"Quinnie, what's wrong?" I ask worriedly. Quinn usually so happy and bubbly; it scares me to see her like this.

"Wren is marrying her. He's marrying Amanda." she manages to say while crying. I nod my head understandingly. Wren is Quinn's first love and the guy she never really got over. They were together three years and almost got married when his dad died. Wren had to take over the family business and decided to upgrade, or downgrade the way I look at it. He dumped Quinn for Amanda, and she never really got over it.

"It'll be okay," I try to comfort Quinn while she cries some more. She calls Wren some choice words and goes on about all his negative properties. I go to the liquor cabinet and pour her a glass of wine. She accepts it graciously.

Lexi runs over to Quinn and pats her on the back. "Everything will be okay, Quill," she says reassuringly. Quill is Lexi's nickname for Quinn since she couldn't say Quinn when she was two. My little girl takes her stuff bunny out of her bag and hands it to Quinn. "Mr. Whiskers will make you feel better."

This makes her smile, and she hugs Lexi. "Thank you, squirt. I feel a lot better now." Quinn replies softly. Lexi beams and skips back into the kitchen.

"Okay, we are having a night out tonight. I'll call everyone and let them know. You need this." I state firmly. Quinn's smile grows stronger.

"Well, I do have a brand-new, gorgeous silver halter just sitting in my closet.." she trailed off happily.

"That a girl. Make sure you look hot. We are finding you a guy." I tell her mischievously.

Quinn groans. "Fine," she agrees reluctantly. She points at Justin. "Is he coming?"

"If he wants to," I reply casually. Justin shrugs indifferently. "I'll take that as a yes then."

"Okay, we'll meet at Monty's at eight. Bye!" Quinn shouted as she left the apartment. Justin looked over at me, a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes at him and continued eating my breakfast. Now I had something to look forward to today.

"So, am I ever going to see this gallery?" Justin asks teasingly. I know he's secretly dying to see it because he's still my noisy older brother, no matter how much things have changed.

"I'm leaving right now if you want to come with me," I offer calmly. Usually I left for the gallery earlier in the day, but I had one of my employees open up so I could spend time with Lexi and Justin.

"Sure," Justin answers, his eyes full of bewilderment. We left the apartment, letting the silence occupy the air as we walked. Justin still seemed to be trying to figure out how I became a responsible adult with genuine feelings and compassion for others. If he finds out, I hope he lets me know. I still haven't figured that out yet myself.


	6. Purple (Mystery)

It is a short walk to Alex's gallery. She keeps asking me questions about our family. I think it is partially out of curiosity and partially to avoid any questions I'm going to ask her. I have to admit, my sister is still at the top of her game.

"So, are you seeing anyone right now?" Alex asks coyly. I say nothing, leaving her to assume the obvious.

"Seriously? You're still hung up on Juliet? That was a million years ago. Get over it." Alex urges me, her eyes already scheming.

"She was the love of my life, Alex," I explain simply. She snorts loudly.

"Love of your life? You don't actually believe in that crap, do you?" Alex asks, her typical cynicism there. Today, though, I could detect a trace of something else. Bitterness maybe. That worries me more than anything. My sister may be a lot of things, but bitter isn't one of them. Or, at least it never use to be.

"What happened to the Alex who liked to sketch out a fairytale world for herself?" I challenge her. Something makes me wonder if my sister has forgotten who she was. I think she needs a little reminder.

Alex stares at her own reflection while answering. I don't think she can handle looking me in the eyes. You can see all of Alex's emotions through her eyes, like an open book. "That girl gave up."

This line out of my sister mouths frightens me to no end. This sister I grew up with is a fighter and always has been. Hearing her say she's given up on something is a breaking point for me. "What are you still scared of, Alex?" I ask gently. Alex just shakes her head and starts to cry. I just hug her until she's able to talk again.

"Everything. Love especially." Alex answers honestly. "But mostly him." I motion for her to explain more. "Even though I'm almost positive he has no clue where I am, I still wake up terrified for my life every day. I'm afraid to live this city because I think he'll track me down. I've been looking over my shoulder for five years."

"He's not here. You're safe now." I reassure her. Alex only nods and wipes away her tears. We approach a medium sized building I assume is her gallery. We walk inside, and I immediately fall in love with all the art in it. I approach one particular painting that is one of the front of the Sub Station. It's done in perfect detail, almost as if copied from a photograph. "Hey, did you paint this from a photo?" I ask my sister curiously.

"No, all my pictures like that are from memory," Alex answers nonchalantly. I gape at her.

"How do you do that?" I ask incredulously. Alex just shrugged indifferently.

"I've walked into the Sub Station a million times. It's not that hard to paint it from memory. Plus, after we moved here, all I could think about was home. Everything was clear in my mind." she confesses.

I look around her whole gallery and am extremely impressed. Alex, my slacker sister that nobody thought would amount to anything, is now a well-known artist and gallery owner. Everyone knew that Alex was destined to be an artist except for Alex. It is the only thing in her life she ever took seriously.

I turn to my sister and ask, "Will you and Lexi come back to New York with me?" Alex looks at me, her mouth wide open.

"I don't know, Justin…" she trails off, her expression full of worry.

"Come on, what do you have to lose?" I ask her with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know," Alex answers honestly. I can take a good guess of what her fears are.

"They won't hate you for keeping Lexi a secret once you explain," I reassure Alex, who is on the verge of tears.

She looks like she's deep in thought. After a few minutes, Alex answers. "Okay, we'll go." Before I start to get too excited, she adds, "But only for a few days."

"That's fine," I reply, secretly jumping up and down inside. Alex just rolls her eyes at me.

"Let's go. Quinn will kill us if we're late." she says with a laugh. I glance around at her gallery, memorizing the look at describe to everyone later. We start walking back to her apartment.

The first thing Alex does is go get Lexi. The little girl runs up and hugs me after getting in the apartment. "Miss me, squirt?" I ask playfully.

Lexi shakes her head furiously before following her mother out of the room. I follow the two girls into Alex's room. "Lexi, do you want to help Mommy pick out an outfit for tonight?" Alex asks her sweetly.

"Yes!" the little girl shouts, her voice nearly shattering my eardrums. Lexi starts to rummage through her mother's closet. After a few minutes, she pulls out a purple halter dress. "Wear this," she commands.

Alex raises an eyebrow. "Any reason you picked this particular halter?" she asks Lexi suspiciously. Her daughter only shrugged.

"Beck told me he loves you in purple," the little girl admits while batting her eyelashes innocently. I chuckle but stop when Alex sends me a death glare.

She doesn't respond to the comment. Instead, Alex finds a pair of skinny jeans to go under the dress. Lexi picks out some cute purple flats and some accessories for her mom. I am impressed by the little girl's good taste; she seemed almost too old for her age. My sister leaves the room to go change.

When Alex comes back, I notice a scar on her shoulder blade. It looks like glass cut her. I think of all the scenarios in which Alex could've gotten that and cringe. She notices me staring at it and sighs. She walks over to me and whispers, "He threw a beer bottle at me. I needed nine stitches." Alex turns to her daughter and says, "Lexi, why don't you go watch some cartoons? Spongebob is on." On that note, the little girl runs out of the room.

My sister turns back to the mirror and sighs. She puts her hair into a high ponytail, revealing more of her scars. Alex turns to me, her eyes vacant. "See these?" She points to her scars. "These will haunt me the rest of my life. They'll always be there, mocking me. Making me feel worthless."

I try to comfort Alex. "Scars fade," I reply sincerely. She frowns at me.

"My doctor said they won't fade anymore than they already have. I'll always have reminder with me." Alex responds remorsefully.

I try to change the subject. "You look beautiful, Alex. That Beck dude won't know what hit him." This makes her smile momentarily.

"Thanks," Alex answers with a soft smile. "Oh, and talk to Jamie tonight. She's Quinn's twin. You guys would really hit it off." I just nod as Alex steps out of the room.

Lexi runs up to both of us. "Mommy, kiss!" the little girl demands. Alex just laughs and kisses her daughter on the cheek. Lexi turns to me and says, "You too, Uncle Justin." I just kiss her forehead and carry her over to Tommy's. I can tell my sister isn't strong enough. We say goodbye and start walking outside. I'm blabbing on about something while Alex is just walking in silence.

I stop and ask her, "Since when can you be quiet this long?" It's almost unnerving. Alex always use to be talking or scheming. It was almost like I was talking to a stranger.

She just shakes her head and responds, "People change, Justin." I think about this the whole way to the club, trying to decipher its meaning. But, maybe something things aren't meant to be figured out.


	7. Gray (Maturity)

I wake up the next morning with a terrible hangover. I don't know how many shots I did last night, but I have a feeling it was one too many. I hear a creak and look up. My brother is carrying a tray into my room, a dopey smile on his face. I automatically know that he hit it off with Jamie. Justin would never bring me breakfast with a good reason. "What's this?" I ask Justin with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, there's chocolate chip pancakes, sausage, orange juice, and Aspirin," Justin responds, avoiding the true context of my question.

I roll my eyes. "I know what's on the tray, dumbass. I was wondering why you were bringing me the tray." I answer sarcastically. Justin gives me a look. "I watch way too much That 70s Show," I explain to my confused brother.

"Why do I need a reason to bring my sister breakfast?" Justin shoots back. I give him a you've-got-to-be-kidding look. "Okay, it's a thank you for introducing me to Jamie."

"Ha! I was right! You and Jamie are meant to be!" I shout victoriously as I dig into my pancakes. They are delicious, the taste lingering on my tongue. "Oh god, these are awesome!"

Justin chuckles. "Yeah, they're probably soaking up all these shots of tequila you did last night." My memory of last night slowly drifts back to me. Quinn was really upset, and I had cheered her up by doing shots. She'd insult Amanda, do a shot, and insult Amanda again. At one point, we even went alphabetically with our insults. The drunker we got, the sillier the insults got. I also vaguely remember making out with someone.

"Oh yeah! That explains the hangover." I say with a smirk. "Wait, who did I make out with last night?"

Justin laughs again while I glare at him. "Beck. You two were all over each other like horny teenagers." I give my older brother an innocent smile. "I guess you know your little sister has grown up when she's drunkenly grinding her boyfriend on a dance floor." Justin ducks when I chuck a pillow at him.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I screech like a thirteen year old girl. Finally, Justin sits there quietly while I finish my breakfast. I get the feeling something's not right. "What's up, Justin?" I ask after setting my tray aside.

He looks surprisingly nervous. "Well, um…" Justin trails off. I give him a tell-me-now-or-die look. "I forgot to tell you we're going to New York today." This throws me completely off guard. I feel like I should be mad, but I'm really not. It's hard to mad when someone's suggesting something you actually want to do. I've considered going home a million times but have always found ways to convince me out of them. Most them usually were about protecting Lexi. Now that Justin knows my secret, I feel like I'd be protecting her even more by introducing her to my family. In my worst nightmare, Trent actually tracks us down and kills me, hopefully only minorly injuring my daughter. It makes sense in my head; Trent would only be mad at me for leaving. If there's anything I still know about Trent, it's that, drunk or sober, he doesn't believe in revenge against someone who hasn't hurt me. Plus, he just isn't smart enough to understand that I value Lexi's life over my own. After all, it's the main reason I left.

I can tell Justin is waiting for my response. "Okay," I respond softly. I get up out of bed and slip on my slippers, grabbing the robe that Lexi gave me for Christmas last year and putting it on. I walk into Lexi's room, a befuddled Justin following close behind. I look at my sleeping daughter for a moment before gently shaking her awake. "Lexi, wake up," I coo softly. "Baby, you got to get up. We have a big day ahead of us."

"What are we doing today, Mommy?" Lexi asks excitedly, her curiosity evoked. She leaps up out of bed, throwing the blankets off of her.

"We're going to New York City to see Mommy's family," I tell her with a soft smile. "You'll get to meet them all and see where I grew up. You'll love the city, Lexi. It's just like home but a little bigger and crowded."

"Yay! I'm going on a vacation! I'm going to brag to Tommy!" Lexi shouts happily. She gets off her bed and runs to the apartment door, only turning around when I yell something to her.

"Honey, I don't think he's up yet," I tell her carefully. Lexi simply shrugs in the way I taught her.

"He'll be up when I'm done with him," she replies sweetly while skipping over to our neighbor's apartment door. I only nod and turn back to my brother, whose confused look feels like a Kodak moment.

"Okay, I have three questions. 1. How is she going to get in?, 2. Why are you letting her go wake up that poor boy?, and 3. Why aren't you yelling at me right now?" Justin asks a mile a minute, sentences and words blending together.

I laugh. "Okay, first off, our neighbors like us so much that we have a key to their apartment. Secondly, since I am not in the position to give Lexi a brother to torture, Tommy is the perfect replacement. And last but not least, I'm not going to yell at me for making me do something I was too chicken to do myself." I reply, my words flying fast but slow enough that Justin catches them. He just gives me a blank look.

"Who are you and what have you done to my sister?" Justin teases, awe apparent on his face. I roll my eyes at his reaction. Contrary to popular belief, I am capable of growing up. It might be the fact I'm a mother now, or maybe even what Trent put me through, but I know I'm not the girl who left New York. That girl was innocent and still believed in fairy tales. She was whole and pure. I'm anything but. I'm a train wreck, farther away from a fairy tale existence than I had ever imagined. Surprisingly, this doesn't bother me. I don't want a perfect life; I love the one I'm living. Everything, bad or good, happens for a reason.

"Duct-tapped to a chair in the closet. She really put up a fight." I joke on the way back to my room, closing the door behind me.

I head for the shower, hoping that the steam would soothe my sore muscles. After my relaxing shower, I go back into my room and slip on a pair of well-worn jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt, pairing it with a tan fringed vest, a long chain necklace with various gems on the end, and tan leather boots. I put small hoops in my ears. I'm careful to back outfits that will cover my whole body. I don't plan on telling them why I left Trent, so there's no reason for them to see my scars. Only Justin can ever see through my lies; there's not much chance of anyone else finding out. When my bags are all packed, I go into Lexi's room and help her. I make sure all her best outfits are represented and that she doesn't forget anything. I help her pick out an outfit. She eventually decides on a white peace sign t-shirt, a blue skirt with red legging underneath, and brown boots. I even let her borrow my locket that has a picture of my family in it.

Once we're all packed, Justin lugs our bags downstairs with Lexi and I making fun of what little muscle he has. I momentarily feel bad about it, but the feeling passes as quickly as it came. We go downstairs and wait while Justin calls us a cab. I think about Chicago, the city that's come to be home. It feels odd to be leaving it. I think about everything that's happened here on the way to the airport. Will New York still be the same? Will my family? These questions inhabit my mind the whole cab ride while Lexi plays a handclap game with her uncle. Hopefully going home will give me some answers. It has to.


	8. Brown (Home)

Alex and Lexi sleep the majority of the plane ride while I read The Wall Street Journal. I occasionally glance over at the two and smile at the picture. Alex's head is on Lexi's back, and the little girl's head is in her mom's lap. I resist the urge to take a picture because I know that Alex will kill me if I wake her up. I do text Max on the plane and tell him that I don't need a ride from the airport. Alex got Harper to agree to pick us up and not say a word to anyone. She was so shocked that Alex and Lexi are actually coming to New York that she said yes on the spot. Of course, Harper did later tell me that keeping the secret was making her extremely nervous and jumpy. Coincidentally, it did inspire her next creation, a dress made entirely out of springs that Lady Gaga wore to the Grammys that year.

About 20 minutes before the flight is going to land, Alex wakes up from her nap and stretches out her arms. Lexi remains peacefully sleeping in her lap. Alex smiles down at her daughter before looking over at me. "Whatcha ya reading?" she asks me with a yawn.

"Wall Street Journal," I answer proudly. No matter what happens in my day, I always take time out to read the Wall Street Journal. If I don't, then my whole day feels off. It's a curse.

"Dork," Alex fake-coughs into her arm. I roll my eyes at her. Still, it's comforting to know that, no matter how old we get, my little sister will always be insulting me.

"Well, at least I'm interested in what's going on in the world," I shoot back with a superior smile. Alex glared at me.

"Hey, I try to keep up with the news as much as I can. Having this one and working limits my free time." Alex defends, pointing down at her slumbering daughter. I feel defeat coming on when I realize she has a valid argument. "Plus, every once in a while, I glance down at the newspapers under my feet while painting and read sections of them." This makes us both laugh. That is probably the closest Alex will ever get to actually reading the newspaper.

Our laughter wakes up Lexi. The tired little girl looks up at her mom, love and admiration in her eyes. "Mommy, I'm hungry," the little girl states with a frown. Alex pretends to be deep in thought, which makes Lexi giggle.

"Well, I guess it was a good thing I packed snacks then, huh?" She pulls out a tote bag and starts going through it carefully. I see many different snacks in the bag and realize another change in my sister. Having a kid has made Alex more prepared in a way. The Alex I knew would've never anticipated a need for anything. "Here, have some Nutter Butters," she says, handing Lexi a plastic bag full of them. The little girl gives her mom a radiant smile.

"Thank you, Mommy!" Lexi shouts cheerfully. Alex kisses her daughter's forehead.

"You're welcome, sweetie," she responds sweetly. Lexi starts to happily munch on her sugary snack. After a few minutes, she taps me on the shoulder. I turn around to see that she is holding a Nutter Butter out to me. I ruff up her hair.

"Thanks, kiddo," I thank Lexi, taking the Nutter Butter and shoving it into my mouth. This makes the little girl giggle. An old lady sitting across from us shoots me a glare. Lexi simply makes a face back at the old hag. Alex looks torn between laughing and lecturing her daughter.

Finally, it's time for the flight to land. Alex grabs Lexi's hand and squeezes it tightly. Both girls look terrified as we go down. I pat their joined hands reassuringly. Alex gives me a tight smile. She's always hated the landing on airplanes. It makes her extremely nervous. I can hear Alex's sigh of relief as we land. Lexi looks up at her mom. "Mommy, will everyone like me?" she asks Alex nervously. The question breaks my heart a little bit. Who wouldn't like Lexi?

Alex stroked her daughter's curls. "Of course they will, honey. They might be a little surprised and mad at Mommy, but I guarantee that everyone will adore you. How could they not? You're the cutest little girl in the world." Lexi's grin returned. I carefully grab our carry-ons from the storage above our seats. We get off the plane and go to meet Harper. Lexi is the first one to spot her.

"Aunt Harper!" the little girl screams excitedly, running over to Harper and giving her a huge hug. "We missed you!" Lexi ads with a pout. She definitely has Alex's pout. Harper smiles down at the little girl.

"I missed you guys, too. My mornings are way too quiet without you and your mother waking me up." This makes me smirk. I'm not the only one who gets the rude awakening in the morning.

Alex makes her way over to her best friend. "Hey, Harper," she greets her friend nonchalantly, like it isn't a big deal she is standing in the JFK airport. Harper rolls her eyes at the typical Alex greeting she just received. Lexi lets go of her, and she gives Alex a hug. Surprisingly, my sister doesn't pull away.

When the hug is over, Harper says, "I can't believe you're actually here. How's the gallery?" Alex grins like she just ate a canary. "That good?" Harper asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I brought the review with me. You can read it later." Alex replies with a modest shrug. Huh, modesty from Alex Russo. Never saw that coming.

Harper keeps asking Alex questions as we walk to get our luggage. Most of them are about Lexi, but I catch a few about Quinn, Jamie, and Beck. I am amazed at how casually she asks these questions, as if she sees these people every day. Then again, Alex did say Harper is heavily involved in her life. Finally, Alex turns the tables. "So, how are you? Any guys on the horizon?" This question makes Harper start to blush. That only gives Alex more incentive. "What's his name?" she presses on, her eyes already plotting on how to get them together.

Harper breaks down after a few minutes of Alex's probing. "His name is Adam, and he is a stylist at Marie Claire. I met him through my friend who does the styling for Disney Channel. He's nice, funny, and can cook."

"The three must haves in a relationship," Alex agrees with a teasing smile. "If most guys realized how much being able to cook turns girls on, they'd sign up for home ec like that." She snaps her fingers.

Lexi looks up like a light bulb went off in her head. "Aunt Harper, can you get me the outfits from Shake It Up?" Harper and I both laugh at the Alex in her that just showed up. I should've guessed that any daughter of Alex's would get that out of our conversation. Luckily for the little girl, her aunt adored her.

"Yep. If you're a good girl during your trip, I'll send you three of your favorite outfits from whatever episode you want when you go home." Harper offers with a sly smile. Alex shoots her friend a grateful look.

Lexi quickly agrees, and we go outside where a taxi is waiting. The ride to the Sub Station feels longer than ever. I can see Alex nervously fiddling with her hair. "Everything will be fine," I whisper to her reassuringly. She only gives me a nervous smile. We pull up to the Sub Station and get out of the taxi. I grab our bags and walk to the door. Alex picks up her daughter and waits for us to go in before following.

I go in and see my dad counting money behind the register. "Hey, Dad," I shout over as a greeting. He looks up at me and smiles.

"Hey, Justin, Harper." My dad studies my face before asking, "How was your trip?" He walks towards the stairs and shouts, "Everyone get down here now! Justin is home!" I feel more nervous as I hear everyone running down the stairs. I see my mom, Max, his wife Lisa, their daughter Isabelle, and for some odd reason, Zeke. My mom traps me in a huge hug.

"It's so good to have you home!" she exclaims happily. Everyone else starts to ask me questions but I stop them.

"I have a surprise for you guys," I say anxiously. As if on cue, Alex walks in the Sub Station. You could see everyone's jaw drop. Lexi is still situated on her hip, hiding in her mom's shoulder.

"Alex?" Max asks, his face full of disbelief. I'm not sure what the reaction is since no one is saying anything. Lisa, being the only one who's never meet Alex, walks to her and introduces herself.

"I'm Lisa, Max's wife," she states casually. I can tell Alex is grateful to Lisa for breaking the silence.

"Alex, nice to meet you," she responds while trying to readjust Lexi. Lisa looks at the little girl curiously.

"And who is this?" she asks softly. Lexi only tries to bury her head deeper into Alex's shoulder.

"Lexi, don't you want introduce yourself?" Alex whispers softly. Lexi nods softly, and her mom puts her down.

"My name is Lexi," she states proudly in her adorable way. You can tell that everyone, though confused, takes an instant liking to her. Still, they all look baffled by her. Everyone looks over at Alex for an explanation. The moment she has been dreading is finally here.

Alex takes a deep breath. "Lexi is my daughter," she tells them with an apologetic look.

"Your what?" both our parents shout, shock evident on their faces. Max's eyes bug out, and Isabelle starts crying from the shouting. Harper and I look at each other. It's going to be a long night.


	9. Pink (Acceptance)

I look around at my family. The reactions I see are exactly what I had expected. My mom looks shocked, my dad looks like he wants to strangle someone, and Max looks confused. I look over at Harper and Justin, who are both waiting for me to say something. I have no words. For this first time in my life, I'm speechless. I bet nobody ever thought that would happen. Luckily for me, my little girl breaks the silence yet again.

"What's upstairs?" she asks curiously, pointing to the spiral staircase. Despite of what's going on, everyone smiles.

"That's where we live," my dad tells her softly, his eyes glancing back from her to me as he talks. Lexi nods and then gives him another questioning look.

"And who are you?" she questions gently, her eyes staring right into his. I know my dad notices that my daughter has my eyes. He could never lie to me while looking me in the eyes.

"Your grandpa," my dad answers calmly, his eyes on me the entire time. Lexi lights up and gives him a bear hug.

"Yay! Now I have a grandpa too! I thought I was lucky enough to get an uncle," she tells her grandpa excitedly, her mouth running a thousand miles a minute.

"And a grandma, cousin, another uncle, and another aunt," my mom adds, stepping in and taking a good look at my baby girl. "I'm your grandma." Lexi gave her a big hug as well. Soon Max, Liza, and Isabelle introduced themselves to my daughter. No matter how bad the argument after this moment is, I am glad that I came back. Seeing the joy on Lexi's face is worth it.

Still, none of my family members have said a word to me since I told them I have a daughter. After a few minutes of coddling Lexi, my mom turns to me and says, "We need to talk. Upstairs." I nod and go over to Lexi.

She grins big when she sees me. "Mommy, Mommy! They like me, just like you said they would!" Lexi shouts happily, practically bouncing up and down.

"I know, sweetheart. Mommies are always right," I say while tickiling her. Lexi giggles. "I'm going upstairs to talk to your grandparents and uncle. Can you be a good girl for an hour and play with your cousin and aunt?" I ask her sweetly.

Lexi nods her head energetically. "If I'm good, will you finish the story?" she asks hopefully.

"Yes," I tell her with an exaggerated sigh that makes her laugh again. I kiss my little girl on the forehead and tell her, "Be good." I leave her with Liza and go upstairs to fill in the blanks for my family. Justin and Harper come with me because they can tell some parts of the story better than I can. Of course, I'm not telling them about all the things Trent did to me, or why I stayed away as long as I did. Justin and Harper are the only people here right now that know about that, and I intend to keep it that way.

We go upstairs, and I notice how nothing has changed since I left. It's like time is frozen; I almost expect one of my high school boyfriends to be knocking on the door to pick me up. I sit down on the chair opposing the chair. Harper sits down on the chair besides me, and everyone else is on the couch. I take a deep breath and get ready to answer the questions I know I'm going to be bombarded with.

Max is the first one to speak. "Alex, what in the hell is going on?" he asks, his tone somewhat angry but mostly shocked.

Before I can answer the question, my dad asks, "What happened to Trent? Did he run out on you guys? Cuz if he did, I'll kill him with a baseball bat!" I smile at the protectiveness my dad still has for me even though I'm a grown woman.

"No, I left him," I state, no emotion in my voice. That shuts everyone up for a bit. "Look, a few weeks after Trent and I settled into our new apartment, I started to get violently sick in the mornings. I didn't think it was a big deal since I'd been feeling lousy for a while, but my neighbor caught on and bought me a bunch of pregnancy tests. I took them, and they all came out positive." I stop for a moment before continuing. "Trent wasn't thrilled to say the least. It was a difficult pregnancy."

Harper interrupts me before I continued. "Difficult pregnancy?" she repeats disgustedly, glaring at me. "Alex, you nearly lost Lexi twice!" Now it's my turn to glare at her. I hadn't planned on repeating that little piece of information. "You could've died!"

"How do you know this?" my mom asks carefully, glancing at the both of us.

Harper gives me an apologetic look before answering. "I was there most of the time."

This sets Max off on a rampage. "And you never bothered to tell us?" he screams, his face turning red.

"She threatened to stop talking to me all together, and I couldn't let her do that. She needed me." Harper defends hotly. And I'm glad she didn't let me do that. I don't know what I would've done without her all these years.

My mom nods before giving me a sympathetic look. "Alex, continue," she commands.

I start talking again. "As I was saying, I had a difficult pregnancy, but by some miracle Lexi was born healthy. After she was born, Trent and I started to have more problems." I look over at Harper and Justin. I know how hard this is for Harper. She is the one who would sit there and help me ice the really bad bruises. She is the one who showed up in my Chicago apartment the day after I left Trent to help me fix it up. Harper's face betrays nothing, but she is gripping the strap of her purse so tightly that her knuckles are turning white. Justin's anger is more evident. He looks like someone just burned his doll collection and then taunted him about it. "After nine months, I decided that I'd had enough. I grabbed Lexi, packed our stuff, and hopped on a bus. I haven't seen or heard from Trent since."

"Where have you been since?" my mom asks curiously.

"Chicago," I answer honestly. "I got off the bus on the first stop because I didn't want to be on that bus anymore. I grabbed a paper, got a taxi, and went to rent out an apartment. It was a shoebox and crap for what I had to pay for it, but it was worth it. I found a job in a small diner nearby. My boss became like another mother to me, and my coworkers are still my best friends. On the days I didn't bring Lexi in with me, my neighbor would watch her."

"Do you still work there?" my dad asks worriedly. Harper laughs.

"Mr. Russo, your daughter has come a long way since then. She has her own gallery now," she proudly reveals to my family. I feel myself blush.

"How did you pay for it?" Max questions bluntly, getting straight to the point.

"Well, the neighbor who used to watch Lexi was a kind old lady with no family or friends to speak of," I start to explain. "She adored Lexi and me, and Lexi called her Grandma." I held my tears back. "One day, she died in her sleep. Turns out she used to be a socialite and had left me a good chunk of money in her will. I took the money, found a better apartment, the one we live in now, put money away for Lexi's education, and spent the rest on the gallery."

Surprisingly, no one is asking me why I came back now or why I never told them. I figure they're going to save those questions for later. Instead, my mom asks, "What's Lexi like?"

I smile. Quinn likes to joke that I could talk about two things all day: art and Lexi. I start to tell them about her, my eyes lighting up as I do. And as everyone listens intently, I feel like maybe we'll all be okay. Maybe they won't be mad at me too long. I'll admit that I've done some stupid things, but I'm proud of the life I've made for my daughter and myself. I'm sure my family is, too.


	10. Green (Misfortune)

_Alex's return seems to be going well so far. Of course, I almost lost my cool when she started to tell our families lies about what happened with Trent. Harper looked even angrier than I was. Then again, she was actually there for some of the stuff Alex was talking about. I just found out about the whole mess a few says ago. Harper has known for five years. I could tell she lost her cool when she said the thing about Alex nearly losing Lexi twice. Then there was Alex. I didn't know how she could tell all those lies without crying. She is the one who had lived through all those horrible things. _

_I am alone out on the balcony. Alex and Lexi are inside getting bombarded by questions from our family. Lexi had already charmed them for her personality. I nearly jump up in the air when I hear someone talking to me._

"_Justin," I turn around to see Harper giving me a worried look. "Are you okay?" she asks softly. _

"_I just don't understand how she was able to lie like that. Right to their faces. Doesn't it get to her?" I ask angrily. I didn't want to lie to our family. I want to tell them the truth._

_Harper gives me a look that says she can't believe I'm that stupid. "Do you think this is easy for Alex? Having to lie to everyone? No, it's not. It's the reason she can't sleep at night, the reason she has those awful nightmares." She stops before adding something else. "But Alex is more afraid of the truth, Justin. She doesn't want to face the past because it scares the crap out of her."_

_Suddenly, I feel like a dofus. What Harper is telling me makes sense. Sometimes, it's easier to tell a bunch of lies than to face the truth. "I guess you're right." _

"_Of course I am. Now let's go eat dinner." Harper and I head into the apartment. The sight we find there makes me smile. Max and Dad are sitting at the table eagerly waiting for their food. Lisa and Mom are in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. Alex is sitting on the couch with Isabelle sleeping nearby and Lexi on her lap. From what I can hear, she is telling the little girl a story. Harper goes to help Isabelle and Mom in the kitchen. I go over and sit next to my sister. She gives me a small smile before continuing with the story. _

"_And then the princess just sat there and waited. And waited and waited and waited." Alex says in an over-exaggerated voice that makes Lexi giggle. _

"_And did he come?" Lexi asks impatiently. I smile. The little girl is so much like her mother. Alex always used to skip to the ending of a book and read that first. She said that she couldn't enjoy the story if she didn't know what was going to happen. I think it was really just an excuse for her not to have to actually read the book. _

_Alex is just about to answer when our mom calls us for dinner. Lexi pouts at not hearing the ending. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll finish the story tonight," Alex reassures her daughter. Lexi instantly brightens and skips over to the kitchen table._

"_What's for dinner, Grandma?" she asks our mom. It's kind of amazing how easily she took to our family. Then again, Lexi does have Alex's personality. My sister was always able to bond with people quickly. _

"_We're having ribs, mashed potatoes, and green peas," Mom answers with a smile._

"_Where are they from?" the little girl asks innocently. Alex and Harper suppress their giggles._

_Our mom looks over to Alex in confusion. Alex steps in to explain. "Grandma and Aunt Lisa made them, sweetheart," she tells her daughter cheerfully. _

_Lexi's eyes widen. "In the kitchen?" she asks in disbelief._

"_In the kitchen," Alex confirms. "Now, what do you want on your plate." _

"_Two ribs, mash potatoes, and no yucky green peas," Lexi declares. Alex fixes up the plate and brings it over to her. She then does her own. I notice she doesn't take much: four ribs, a tiny pile of peas, and a minuscule scope of mash potatoes. Alex sits down next to her daughter. The whole family is seated at the table for the first time in nearly six years. _

_Harper, having also noticed how little Alex is eating, asks, "Not hungry, Alex?"_

"_Plane rides always take away my appetite," she responds nonchalantly. Harper still looks worried but says nothing. _

_Lexi, devouring the ribs, wipes her mouth and hands. Looking up at our mom, she says, "Grandma, these are really good."_

_Our mom smiles. "Thank you, honey. If you want, I can give your mom the recipe. It's pretty easy to make."_

_Lexi and Harper both start laughing. Alex glares at both of them. "Mommy doesn't cook much," Lexi explains. "We eat at the diner a lot."_

"_It's a shame, too. You guys have such a nice kitchen," Harper adds. _

"_Hey, there's food cooked in our kitchen all the time," Alex defends with her arms crossed across her chest._

"_But you're never the one actually doing the cooking," Harper reminds her. Alex shrugs in defeat._

_Our dad looks confused. "Then who does cook?" he asks._

_Lexi thinks for a moment before answering. "Well, Quill and Jamie make good chocolate cake, and they let me lick the spoons. Cat can make really good lasagna. Beck is probably the best cook. He makes really good pancakes." I look over at Alex, who is blushing lightly._

"_You eat pancakes for dinner?" Max asks, clearly jealous. "Lucky."_

_Lexi looks at her uncle in confusion. "No, he makes them after his sleepovers with Mommy." The whole table looks over at Alex in shock._

"_So, what's for dessert?" she asks casually, trying to dodge the questions that are sure to come. Luckily, her cell phone goes off at that exact moment. "Sorry, I have to take this." Alex answers is. "Hello? Oh, hey Quinn. What's up?" My sister's expression goes sour. "Wait, what happened? Who broke in?" We all look over at her. "Was anything stolen? That's weird. Yeah, okay. Call me if anything else happens. I'll give you details if anything else happens. Bye." Alex hangs up. Her posture is tense, and I can tell something is off. _

_She looks at us, worry lines across her forehead. "Someone broke into the gallery."_

_None of us know what to say. Finally, Lisa asks, "Was anything stolen?"_

_Alex shakes her head no. "A stack of business cards, but I have tons of those." _

"_Well, that's good," Lisa tries to comfort her. She merely nods her head._

"_Can I be excused?" she asks our mom. Mom nods. Alex leaves the table and heads upstairs._

_Seeing the looks on all of our faces, Harper gets up and says, "I'll go check on her." We all sit in silence, not sure what to say. The rest of our family is worried, sure, but I'm scared for Alex and Lexi. I know what Alex is afraid of. She thinks Trent is the one who broke in. It makes sense to me. Who else would steal just a stack of business cards? I sit there and stare at me food, trying not to think of the scary situations. Hopefully, Harper can calm Alex down, and the burglary turns out to not be a big deal. I hope for all of these things. I would be disgusted with myself if something happened to Alex and Lexi that could've been stopped._


	11. Red Again (Love)

I run to the bathroom, throw open the door and charge in. I kneel down next to the toilet and start puking my guts out. I couldn't remember the last time I had been this sick. Probably when I was pregnant with Lexi. The thought of Trent being anywhere near my home absolutely nauseates me. It makes me scared not only for myself but for Lexi and my friends. None of them deserve to get hurt because of me.

I am pondering this when Harper barges into the bathroom. Noticing how sick I am, she kneels down next to me and pulls back my hair. An odd sense of de javeau fills the room. We both can remember a similar scene from five years ago. Of course, there are glaring differences. I'm not alone in a hole-in-the-wall apartment with bruises covering my body. Instead, I'm in my childhood home with my family completely safe from harm. I still can't ignore the major similarity: I, Alex Russo, am still scared. And no matter where I go or who reassures me, I'm still scared.

Finally, the puking stops. Unfortunately, the crying starts. I start to cry tears I didn't even know I had been saving into Harper's shoulder. She rubs circles into my back, whispering soothing words into my ear. I mentally count my blessings to have a best friend like her. Finally, I calm down enough to stand up. I wipe the tear marks off my face and fix my hair. I turn to look at Harper. She's studying my face like she looking for a puzzle clue.

"You know they would be understanding," Harper states, looking straight into my eyes. "Your family would understand if you told them what really happened with Trent. Sure, Max and your dad would probably get some wizard mafia to hunt the bastard down," I smirk at this statement, "but they would understand."

I'm shocked by my friend's statement, but I'm glad that she cares enough to say it. "Thank you," I whisper softly, not able to come up with anything else.

Harper shrugs. "It's what friends do," she answers nonchalantly. I shake my head.

"Not friends, sisters," I correct her. Harper is more than a best friend. She is family, and she'll always be family.

"Sisters," Harper repeats with a huge smile on her face. She gives me a hug and pulls back. "I'm going to go downstairs and tell them you're just freshening up." I nodded and watched her walk away.

The rest of our visit is relatively calm. Lexi wraps my entire family around her little finger like she does with everyone and plays with her baby cousin. I reconnect with my parents and Max and befriend Lisa. Before we know it, our vacation is over. I promise my parents we'll visit soon, and Harper tells me she'll be in Chicago for a long visit in the beginning of next month, a few weeks away. Everyone comes to see us off to the airport. Lexi cries as we board the plane. "What if they forget about me, Mommy?" she implores, hot tears running down her face.

I stop and pick her up, holding her as tight as I can. "I promise they won't forget about you, sweetheart," I comfort her. "Who could forget a little girls as sweet and cute as you?" Lexi smiles the smile I love so much. "That's better. Ready to go home now?" I ask teasingly.

"Yes!" she shouts. I smile and set her down. We get on the plane. The flight goes by in an instant. Lexi sleeps through most of it, her head in my lap, while I sketch. Mostly, I'm a painter, but I feel like the visit we just deserves a sketch. The image I remember is of my family sitting down together for dinner for the first time in five years. Everyone looks happy and relaxed. Still, there is a darker element to the picture. My expression in the sketch is pitched, like I've tasted something bitter. I'm gripping my napkin tightly, like I need protection. I don't look up from my work until the flight attendant tells me Lexi needs to put her seatbelt back on. I wake up my angel and fasten her seatbelt. Before we know it, the plane is landing.

I pick up a half-asleep Lexi and grab our carry on stuff. We make our way down to the baggage claim area. Worrying about finding all our bags, I look around to find our ride. Surprisingly, the person I spot is Beck, who somehow already got all of our bags. His hands are shoved into his pockets as per usual. I walk over to him. "Hey, Quinn told me you needed a ride," he explains. I only nod, waiting for something else. "And I wanted to make sure you were okay after, you know, what happened," Beck confesses.

"Thanks," I reply softly. Beck smiles that hypnotizing smile of his.

"It's no big deal," he shrugs. And for a moment, I am hit by how amazing this guy is. Words I've heard Quinn and Jamie and even Harper repeat to me finally start to sink in.

"No, it is a big deal," I argue. "You're always taking care of Lexi and me with absolutely no reason to. I don't know what I would do without you."

There's a moment of silence before Beck speaks again. "You're wrong," he says. They aren't the words I expect to hear. Still, I keep listening because something tells me he's not done yet. "I do have a reason to watch over you two. I care about you, and I would go nuts if anything happened to you guys."

I'm stunned to say the least. No words coming to my mouth, I just lean in and kiss him softly. It's a gentle kiss, but it means something.

Lexi stirs in my arms. I try to reposition her so that my arms aren't killing me. Beck notices this and takes her, easily carrying her and pulling our bags. We get into his prehistoric pick-up truck that no one else in the city owns and start the drive back to our apartment. Once we get there, I unlock the door and place Lexi in her bag. Beck, declining my offer of help, brings up all of our stuff. "Well, I guess I better get going," he states after carrying the last bag into the living room.

Despite the voice shouting no in my head, I reply, "No, don't go. Spend the night with me." I'm laying my armor down, and now it's up to Beck.

His intense eyes study me. "Are you sure?" he questions carefully. I nod.

"I'm sick of being alone," I state with a soft smile. Beck pulls me in for a deep kiss. When we pull away, I teasingly ask, "Is that a yes?"

Rolling his eyes, he answers "It's a yes." I grab his hand and head towards my room. And for the first night in a while, I don't have an awful nightmare. Instead, I dream of my family and of Beck with a smile on my face. I could only hope life stayed this good for just a little while.


	12. Gold (Completeness): AN

**Hey! So, I know what ur thinking. I'm an idiot for ending this story here. But, the good news is I'm writing a sequel. *cheers excitedly* I'm not sure when it will be up, but I'll try to post it soon! Thanks to all of my reviewers for your support! I love u guys! And special thanks to Not Just a Nerd, who added this story to her community Justin/Alex Brother-sister stories. Look for the sequel soon!**


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